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Hell High
Raw. Shocking. Provocative. Read the controversial novel about the dark underbelly of high school.
WARNING: Not for the squeamish or light of heart. Contains material that may offend.
Hell, North Dakota. Here, teenagers lose their innocence in a cesspit of recreational and psychiatric drugs, pseudo-macho ideals, and incessant verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. After a cruel prank causes a girl to commit suicide, her fellow students must face their inner darkness. And none of them may survive prom night...
Praise from Amazon readers:
Gloriously Different From Anything Else You Have Ever Read
“Take every person you knew in high school and take their bad character traits to the extreme and you will have the characters of Hell High….Personally, I could not put this book down. I finished it in two days in between classes and homework and do not regret it at all.”
Two Stars
"[Raptor] takes the absolute worst of humans, turns it into a train wreck...and yet, I Couldn't. Stop. Reading."
THE CONTROVERSY
Art That Should Not Have Been Made
"The author seems dead. To live and breathe hate. It's actually striking, the depth of blackness this guy goes to. In my mind, there's no redeeming value. It's art that shouldn't have been made."
Speechless
"The author derived the most sadistic, deranged, disturbed teenagers and put them altogether in the same high school . . . It's hard to believe Satan's hell is as demented as Hell High . . . I don't know how I got through it..albeit, my morbid curiosity."
WARNING: Not for the squeamish or light of heart. Contains material that may offend.
Hell, North Dakota. Here, teenagers lose their innocence in a cesspit of recreational and psychiatric drugs, pseudo-macho ideals, and incessant verbal, physical, and sexual abuse. After a cruel prank causes a girl to commit suicide, her fellow students must face their inner darkness. And none of them may survive prom night...
Praise from Amazon readers:
Gloriously Different From Anything Else You Have Ever Read
“Take every person you knew in high school and take their bad character traits to the extreme and you will have the characters of Hell High….Personally, I could not put this book down. I finished it in two days in between classes and homework and do not regret it at all.”
Two Stars
"[Raptor] takes the absolute worst of humans, turns it into a train wreck...and yet, I Couldn't. Stop. Reading."
THE CONTROVERSY
Art That Should Not Have Been Made
"The author seems dead. To live and breathe hate. It's actually striking, the depth of blackness this guy goes to. In my mind, there's no redeeming value. It's art that shouldn't have been made."
Speechless
"The author derived the most sadistic, deranged, disturbed teenagers and put them altogether in the same high school . . . It's hard to believe Satan's hell is as demented as Hell High . . . I don't know how I got through it..albeit, my morbid curiosity."
264 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 11, 2016
18 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
John Raptor
18 books76 followersJohn Raptor was born in Kagoshima, Japan, and grew up in Fargo, North Dakota.
He currently lives in Kokura, Japan as a writer and an English teacher.
He currently lives in Kokura, Japan as a writer and an English teacher.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 25, 2018
Hell high is...well, Hell! Totally brutal and depraved.
As the name suggests, students unfortunate enough to be be enrolled in Hell High are in for some hellishly diabolical experiences. A small town in North Dakota devoid of morals and values, Hell may very well be Satan's primary residence. (S)he sure would be proud of its wretched inhabitants.
Hell High contains a foul mix of the worst kinds of people you'd ever want to meet (students and faculty alike)--violent thugs, drug addicts, rapists, bullies, whores, etc. I would sooner send my kids to school in the sewer to learn from the rats.
The story alternates between the lives of a number of students, each one seemingly more screwed up than the next. Readers are introduced to them individually and the author does a great job developing each one and offering their histories. I felt a mixture of feelings for them, ranging from pity to hatred. The things that are done to and by these kids are truly atrocious. You'd like to think that stuff like this never happens in real life, but I'm sure there are children out there coping with a wide range of the problems depicted herein--the aftermath of which we often read about in horrific newspaper articles.
It's almost a cautionary tale, warning of the implications of poor parenting and reckless, irresponsible behavior. Society could undoubtedly use a booster shot (or two or ten) of morals, ethics and scruples, if not mere common sense.
This story was pretty grim and depressing, but it was well-written, engrossing and (sadly) plausible.
As the name suggests, students unfortunate enough to be be enrolled in Hell High are in for some hellishly diabolical experiences. A small town in North Dakota devoid of morals and values, Hell may very well be Satan's primary residence. (S)he sure would be proud of its wretched inhabitants.
Hell High contains a foul mix of the worst kinds of people you'd ever want to meet (students and faculty alike)--violent thugs, drug addicts, rapists, bullies, whores, etc. I would sooner send my kids to school in the sewer to learn from the rats.
The story alternates between the lives of a number of students, each one seemingly more screwed up than the next. Readers are introduced to them individually and the author does a great job developing each one and offering their histories. I felt a mixture of feelings for them, ranging from pity to hatred. The things that are done to and by these kids are truly atrocious. You'd like to think that stuff like this never happens in real life, but I'm sure there are children out there coping with a wide range of the problems depicted herein--the aftermath of which we often read about in horrific newspaper articles.
It's almost a cautionary tale, warning of the implications of poor parenting and reckless, irresponsible behavior. Society could undoubtedly use a booster shot (or two or ten) of morals, ethics and scruples, if not mere common sense.
This story was pretty grim and depressing, but it was well-written, engrossing and (sadly) plausible.
September 4, 2018
I haven't been to American high school so I don't exactly recognize everything and all the different characters, but I have been to school and imagine that teenagers are teenagers, no matter where they are! The book is good but all the characters are,at the end of the book, abit to much llike eachother! The ending is also a little too predictable and lacks some kind of twist. The writing is good and overall I liked this book and recognize myself somewhat in all those crazy kids.
June 20, 2016
This was a horrible book! I'm not saying it was badly written or characters were undeveloped...on the contrary. I was riveted & though my heart kept telling me to stop reading I just had to find out what happened. I'm a fan of extreme horror but this was a little too realistic (subject matter) for me.
The characters felt real...horrible as they were...and the emotions were raw & painful. I weep for any teen who has ever felt (or behaved) the way these kids did in this book. I give it a 3 star not because I enjoyed it but because it WAS well done & I HAD to finish it even though it broke my heart.
The characters felt real...horrible as they were...and the emotions were raw & painful. I weep for any teen who has ever felt (or behaved) the way these kids did in this book. I give it a 3 star not because I enjoyed it but because it WAS well done & I HAD to finish it even though it broke my heart.
January 16, 2017
This is not a "nice" book. You won't get a warm, fuzzy feeling trust me. This is however a good read in that the evil of molestation, bullying, underage sex and drinking, uncaring parents and teachers, and school systems, is exposed in a no holds barred way. Teenage angst is very well depicted. Combined with all the other obstacles, and with no way out that any teen in this book can actually see, it becomes a tragedy of epic proportions. I think parents who have teenagers should read this. It's not pretty, but if anyone truly cared, this mess could have been prevented. I was mesmerized and horrified at the same time. Very sad. Very good.
February 5, 2021
A Shallow Attempt at Depth
Not worth reading.
Attempts an in-depth character study, but all the characters are caricatures which renders the entire thing an exercise in tedium.
The book attempts to convey a very basic understanding of existential dread, but the author's grasp of the concept is juvenile and incomplete so it fails. What's left is repetitive harping on a hollow bleakness that feels thoughtless.
The story is a meandering mess, a long, dull journey to nowhere. All of the writing techniques that could have made it compelling are absent, as the author evidently lacks the skill to use them. Which is a shame, because the author has some skill and could be quite good with a little effort and practice.
Futhermore, the story is marred by a lack of basic understanding of how a lot of the world works. Simple things which are integral to the story are portrayed incorrectly, as they would be in a bad movie. This saps the realism of the story. It leaves the impression of a story told by an angry, inexperienced high school student. This could have worked, given the context of the book, but doesn't because it applies to statements of fact and narrative elements. The subjective opinions and human interactions are handled better, but given the outlandish characterizations also fall flat.
The author attempts to include pithy statements, albeit cynical and fatalistic ones, and has some success. However, most of it is poorly done and marred by the cartoonish nature of the characters and story. All of it can be found written better by better authors with less dreary filler around it.
It seems the author wanted to be Chuck Palahniuk telling a Stephen King story, but he failed at both. Still, he has enough skill that you can see the influence of both authors (especially Palahniuk, with a very surface level reading). Read one of their books instead.
If this was written by a high school student then it is very, very good. If it was written by a college student, it is already a bit immature and needs work. If it was by anyone 20s or older then it is a little sad.
Not worth reading.
Attempts an in-depth character study, but all the characters are caricatures which renders the entire thing an exercise in tedium.
The book attempts to convey a very basic understanding of existential dread, but the author's grasp of the concept is juvenile and incomplete so it fails. What's left is repetitive harping on a hollow bleakness that feels thoughtless.
The story is a meandering mess, a long, dull journey to nowhere. All of the writing techniques that could have made it compelling are absent, as the author evidently lacks the skill to use them. Which is a shame, because the author has some skill and could be quite good with a little effort and practice.
Futhermore, the story is marred by a lack of basic understanding of how a lot of the world works. Simple things which are integral to the story are portrayed incorrectly, as they would be in a bad movie. This saps the realism of the story. It leaves the impression of a story told by an angry, inexperienced high school student. This could have worked, given the context of the book, but doesn't because it applies to statements of fact and narrative elements. The subjective opinions and human interactions are handled better, but given the outlandish characterizations also fall flat.
The author attempts to include pithy statements, albeit cynical and fatalistic ones, and has some success. However, most of it is poorly done and marred by the cartoonish nature of the characters and story. All of it can be found written better by better authors with less dreary filler around it.
It seems the author wanted to be Chuck Palahniuk telling a Stephen King story, but he failed at both. Still, he has enough skill that you can see the influence of both authors (especially Palahniuk, with a very surface level reading). Read one of their books instead.
If this was written by a high school student then it is very, very good. If it was written by a college student, it is already a bit immature and needs work. If it was by anyone 20s or older then it is a little sad.
May 29, 2020
Dark Depressing Entertainment
I could somewhat identify with the story and some characters since I, for one, HATED my school years.
"Hell High" is basically your darkest version of a coming-of-age tale. The story spans over a year and tells of your typical high school individuals: the jock, the bully, the outcasts, the sluts, etc. but takes all the stereotypes and brings out the worst in them. It's your worst version of a high school story about how all these miserable characters find solace in drugs, sex and drinking, among other life-ruining acts of shallow escapism.
I usually rate books according to how much they entertained me (same with movies) instead of how good I think they are. If I were to rate "Hell High" on how "good" it is, I probably would've given it a 3/5.
The good:
- I was entertained and hooked throughout, which is the most important aspect of literature fiction for me.
- I found the over-the-top shallowness of the characters darkly comical and had a great few laughs.
- John Raptor's honest, no-holds-barred disturbing stories and writing style are quickly ensuring a place for this author among my favourite extreme horror authors.
The bad:
- Too many of the characters cry way too much and easy. It gets rather annoying and takes away the credibility of the more heart-wrenching scenes.
- Some POV character-additions were unnecessary, e.g. Sylvia, and does not contribute to the story at all.
- The story gets quite repetitive with all the sex, drinking and drugs the characters keep indulging in. The book could've been shorter without the debauchery dragging on.
- The finale was quite predictable.
Overall, a great book if you like your fiction extreme and extremely dark and depressing with a touch of sad real-life realism.
I could somewhat identify with the story and some characters since I, for one, HATED my school years.
"Hell High" is basically your darkest version of a coming-of-age tale. The story spans over a year and tells of your typical high school individuals: the jock, the bully, the outcasts, the sluts, etc. but takes all the stereotypes and brings out the worst in them. It's your worst version of a high school story about how all these miserable characters find solace in drugs, sex and drinking, among other life-ruining acts of shallow escapism.
I usually rate books according to how much they entertained me (same with movies) instead of how good I think they are. If I were to rate "Hell High" on how "good" it is, I probably would've given it a 3/5.
The good:
- I was entertained and hooked throughout, which is the most important aspect of literature fiction for me.
- I found the over-the-top shallowness of the characters darkly comical and had a great few laughs.
- John Raptor's honest, no-holds-barred disturbing stories and writing style are quickly ensuring a place for this author among my favourite extreme horror authors.
The bad:
- Too many of the characters cry way too much and easy. It gets rather annoying and takes away the credibility of the more heart-wrenching scenes.
- Some POV character-additions were unnecessary, e.g. Sylvia, and does not contribute to the story at all.
- The story gets quite repetitive with all the sex, drinking and drugs the characters keep indulging in. The book could've been shorter without the debauchery dragging on.
- The finale was quite predictable.
Overall, a great book if you like your fiction extreme and extremely dark and depressing with a touch of sad real-life realism.
September 20, 2018
High school really was a crazy time, wasn't it?
This book would be like The Breakfast Club if they were all on bath salts and armed with machetes. At least metaphorically speaking. The narrative in front of you is not as obvious as that though, but maybe pretty close. You remember being a teenager, right? How evil and selfish that you were? How full of angst that looking back on characters experiencing it before you, is embarrasingly annoying?
That's what you have here. It's not something that will make you feel good. You might feel wistful at a few parts, but not in a wholesome way. And it might be a whole lot worse than you imagine.
The best years of your life!
This book would be like The Breakfast Club if they were all on bath salts and armed with machetes. At least metaphorically speaking. The narrative in front of you is not as obvious as that though, but maybe pretty close. You remember being a teenager, right? How evil and selfish that you were? How full of angst that looking back on characters experiencing it before you, is embarrasingly annoying?
That's what you have here. It's not something that will make you feel good. You might feel wistful at a few parts, but not in a wholesome way. And it might be a whole lot worse than you imagine.
The best years of your life!
March 21, 2019
Welcome to hell
I would have given this book 5 stars but the racism was totally unnecessary these kids were fucked up enough they didn't need anything added it was a really good book sometimes less is more
I would have given this book 5 stars but the racism was totally unnecessary these kids were fucked up enough they didn't need anything added it was a really good book sometimes less is more
September 3, 2019
Raw, yet right on point. Emphasizes everything bad with high school, specifically bullying, drug use, and promiscuous sex. About 10 percent of us revel the high school days while the rest remember a time of torture and abuse. I’ve read it twice.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews